Seam reinforcing and antiwear shield for gloves



Mmdm 193., W. o. WELLS 2,,ML34

SEAM REINFORCING AND ANTIWEAR SHIELD FOR GLOVES Filed Feb. 23, 1937 wm Mum/w M/ELLE Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES SEAM REINFORCING AND ANTIWEAR SHIELD FOR: GLOVES William 0. Wells, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Wells-Lamont- Smith Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application February 23, 1937,. Serial. No. 127,015

4 Claims.

This invention relates toimprovements in gloves and has for its special object toprolong the life of certain. parts of the. glove by the use of. an anti-wear shield which-also serves as a reinforcement in. the nature of a seam. insert. The invention relates to the placement of such a shield: and seam. reinforcement in: the region of that part of: the thumb. seam which is on the palm side of the glove or which. connects a part of the thumb and a part of the palm together. In so. far as. I. am. aware no one has provided a seam insert in this location.

The present application is an improvement over the structure shown in my application Serial No. 78,089 and includes a modification in which the same insert instead of being a piece separate from the other parts of the glove, is integral with a part which forms the outer side or section of the thumb. The invention is applied to a form of glove in which the inner thumb section is of one piece with the palm.

This invention is applicable for reinforcing gloves of any type or material but is particularly applicable to gloves, the palms and thumbs of which are of leather, particularly heavy duty leather. These gloves are of the type which are subject to particular wear in the region of junction between the thumb and the palm, during gripping. Seams of various kinds of course have been used. but they have been of a type which did not decrease the wear in the seam nor on thumb and palm surfaces.

Features of the invention include all details of construction, in addition to the broader ideas of means inherent in this disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description of the drawing forming a part of this application, and in said drawing Figure 1 is a face view of the palm side of the glove, with the thumb fully adducted showing one form of the position of the reinforcing shield;

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on line 22 of Figure 1 and illustrating the seam reinforcing structure and shielding action;

Figure 3 is a face view of the outer section of the thumb blank; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view, with the seam torn open, to further illustrate the relation of the parts, and to show that the inner part or section of the thumb is of one piece with the palm.

Referring to the drawing, numeral I generally indicates a glove comprising a palm 2, and an inner thumb section 3 which is of one piece with the palm. The thumb is also composed of an outer section 4. The inner and outer thumb sections and; thepalm and outer thumb sections are connected by a single or continuousseam generally indicated atv 6.

The position of the fold line or junctionpoint between the inner thumb section and the palm is indicated at Hi. It is understood that section 3. is cut from the palm blank and folded toward the fingers. It is an object, of this invention to; provide a seamrreinforcing: .and a palm and thumb shielding element, applied in the region of that part of the seam near and at each side of the fold line or junction of the inner thumb element or section 3 with the palm. This element is indicated .at l5 and, see Figures 2 and 3, is of one piece with the outer thumb section 4. The element is folded upon itself as shown, and folding is facilitated by providing a series of slits [6 corresponding to the fold line, see Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 it is noted that element l5 swingingly overlaps or is opposed to the palm and thumb, and extends lengthwise of the seam at opposite sides of the junction point 10 between the thumb and the palm. This crossover relation is well shown in Figure 4, in which the stitching has been torn apart to better show the scheme.

Referring to Figure 2 the stitching is indicated at H, and it is again noted that the shield is folded upon itself within the seam and that the seam stitching passes through both parts of the fold, and through the palm, whereby three thicknesses of material are stitched together in the region and lengthwise at each side of the junction or fold point ID.

This element I5 is thus shieldingly interposed to protect against friction on the metatarsal surfaces of the thumb and index and middle fingers particularly when the thumb is adducted for prehensile action. At the same time the seam is heavily reinforced in this region.

By reference to Figure 2 it is to be noted that the inner rounded surface 20 of the fold provides a smooth seam at that point, when the rounded portion is extended outwardly beyond the edge l8 of the palm.

The lining of the glove has been omitted, but it will be understood that the glove is ordinarily lined.

In the particular type of glove shown the palm and the inner portion of the thumb are formed of a single piece or section, and the outer part of the thumb is formed from a separate piece or seetion and is properly sewed to the inner portion of the thumb and to the palm of the glove. The reinforcement herein is applied at the inner seam or in that seam which is nearest the middle of the palm of the glove and the seam is continuous across or in the region of the line of junction between the inner thumb section and the palm. In so far as I am aware no one has provided any device for the specific purpose herein nor any device which combines seam reinforcing with swingable flap structure of substantial area adapted for an anti-wear function in relation to contiguous working-surface portions of palm and finger or of thumb and palm.

I claim as my invention:

1. A glove having a thumb and palm seam which connects, an inner thumb section of one piece with the palm, to an outer thumb section, and which connects said outer thumb section with the palm, said outer thumb section having an extension of one piece therewith projecting beyond and forming part of the seam and swingingly overlying the palm, and extending lengthwise of the seam at opposite sides of the junction point between the inner thumb section and the palm.

2. A glove having a thumb and palm seam which connects, an inner thumb section of one piece with the palm, to an outer thumb section, and which connects said outer thumb section with the palm, said outer thumb section having an extension of one piece therewith projecting beyond and forming part of the seam and swingingly overlying the palm, and extending lengthwise of the seam at opposite sides of the junction point between the inner thumb section and the palm, said shield being folded within the seam, and the seam stitching being passed through both parts of the fold and through the palm, whereby three thicknesses of material are stitched together in the region and lengthwise at each side of the junction point.

3. A glove having a thumb and palm seam which connects an outer thumb section to an inner thumb section and to the palm, and a seam reinforcing and palm and thumb shielding-flap extending lengthwise of the seam in the region where the thumb meets the palm, said flap being integral with a glove portion at one side of the seam and projecting outwardly from the seam.

4. A glove having a thumb and palm seam which connects an outer thumb section to an inner thumb section and to the palm, and a reinforcing fiap extending lengthwise of the seam at the junction between the thumb and the palm and constituting a folded extension of a glove portion at one side of the seam, said flap projecting outwardly through and beyond the seam and being swingable into shielding overlying relation with the thumb and palm,

WIILLIAM O. WELLS. 

